Changeable address display device

ABSTRACT

Analog display devices such as meters are mounted at a central location. Measurements taken at remote positions are digitized, given identifying characters, and multiplexed in a serial stream to the central location. Each display device has an address constituting the identifying characters. The address is a unique digital number implemented by closing a particular combination of switches. The display device faceplate carries the switch-closing means so that as the faceplate is mounted on different display devices, the information having that address will automatically appear on that particular display device.

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Heartz [54] CHANGEABLE ADDRESS DISPLAY DEVICE [72] Inventor: Robert Alan Heartz, Deland, Fla.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1970 [211 App]. No.: 102,655

[52] U.S.C1. ..340/l84,317/104,317/112, 200/56 [51] Int. 608015/00 [58] fieldofscflrch ..340/184, 365, 324A;317/99, 317/104, 107; 339/18; 200/56 [56] Reierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,187,321 6/1965 Kameny ..340/365 3,317,686 5/1967 Francy..... ..317/112 3,500,130 3/1970 Aument Feb. 8, 1972 Primary Examiner-Thomas B. Habecker Assistant Examiner-Robert J. Mooney Attorney-Raymond H. Quist, Allen E. Amgott, Henry W. Kaufmann, Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Joseph B. Forman [57] ABSTRACT 3 Clalms, 3 Drawing Figures mm awn 3.641.631

SHEET 1 OF 2 )IB I I IOR lam 22 L l g 4 REFERENCE I I CLOCK .6 K

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INVENTOR. Robert A. Heorrz BY 0? flq ATTORNEY.

Immune sIaIz 3.541.531

SHEET 2 [1F 2 REFERENCE [8 I8 ADDRESS J36 REFERENCEW DECODE I DIGITAL CLOCK SWITCHES J 34 RESISTANCE LADDER METER MovEMENT x42 INVENTOR.

Robert A. Heorrz B NW ATTORNEY.

CHANGEABLE ADDRESS DISPLAY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to information display devices and more particularly to addressable display device systems.

Modern, complex systems have associated monitoring devices which measure various parameters relating to the operation of the system. In many such systems, the data acquired by such devices is converted to a digital form, provided with identifying characters, and transmitted to a central location in a multiplexed fashion.

At the central location the multiplexed data is distributed to various display devices in accordance with its identifying characters which can be considered addresses. There are commercially available address decoding circuits which can be wired to recognize a particular address, and retrieve the data associated with that address from a stream of multiplexed addresses and data.

In a central location where data associated with many measured parameters is received and displayed, it is desirable to be able to change the display location of the data for any particular parameter from one meter on a panel to another, or from one panel to another. conventionally, such a change requires removal of the meter from the panel, and rewiring the address to that of the new data to be displayed by that meter. This process is time consuming and expensive when the changes are frequent or involve many meters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION voltage level. The particular combination of MOSFET gates at the two voltage levels addresses the meter to receive information derived from a particular source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic of an array of display devices on a multiplexed cable;

FIG. 2 is a schematic isometric of a display device in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a display device in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 is portrayed an array of display devices such as meter modules -16 which may be on a single panel or on various panels in a central location. A stream of multiplexed data and addresses is carried by cable 18 to meter modules 10-16 in a serial fashion. Each meter module is also supplied with clock signals and voltage references over lines 20 and 22 respectively. The voltage reference also constitutes the power supply for the meter modules.

Examining the configuration of a particular meter module more closely in FIG. 2, it should be noted that faceplate 24 is designed to be readily detached and replaced. While the meter movement and pointer 26 are included in case 28, the meter scale indicia are included on a transparent window, and the identification of the parameter measurement being displayed are included on faceplate 24.

Case 28, in this example, is provided with four pin-receiving receptacles 30. Faceplate 24 has mating pins 32 and 34 in two of the four possible locations. If the possible pin locations are considered binary exponents it is evident that l6 different combinations are possible. Thus 16 unique faceplates and addresses can be used.

In FIG. 3, pins 32 and 34 of FIG. 2 are shown with four symbolically illustrated switches 36. Switches 36 are contained within case 28, and aligned so that insertion of a pin in one of pin-receiving receptacles 30 (shown in FIG. 2) closes a switch. Address decode and digital switch circuit 38 (a commercially available large-scale integrated circuit) is assigned a particular address, say 1010, by the mounting of faceplate 24 on case 28, since the closed switches bring MOSFET gates to a reference voltage level while the open switches leave other MOSFET gates at another level. Circuit 38 also receives as inputs the serial stream of addresses and data on cable 18, as well as the reference voltage and clock signals previously mentioned. When circuit 38 identifies its address in the stream of addresses it automatically converts the subsequent digitized information into an analog signal through the use of resistance ladder 40. This signal drives meter movement 42.

With the foregoing arrangement therefore, a particular measured parameter can be displayed on any meter module connected to cable [8 simply by attaching the faceplate with the associated address. Obviously the number of meters which can be employed on a single serial stream depends upon the number of digits available for the address. Thus with an eightbit address 256 meters can be assigned unique addresses.

Although a particular embodiment of a changeable address display device for an information distributing and display system has been shown and described, it is obvious that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an information distributing and display system having information for a p lu rality of display devices carried in a serial stream on a single cable together with addresses identifying the particular display device to receive the information, the improvement of a changeable address display device comprismg:

a plurality of switch elements the closing of a combination of which assigns a particular address to said display device;

means for identifying in said serial stream of information and addresses to particular address and associated information for said display device;

means for driving said display device in accordance with said information; and

a changeable faceplate having means for closing a combination of said switch elements to assign said particular address to said display device.

2. An information distributing and display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said switch elements are aligned with pin-receiving receptacles and closedby insertion of a pin in said receptacles; and

said changeable faceplate includes one or more pins which are inserted in said pin-receiving receptacles when said faceplate is attached to said display device.

3. An information distributing and display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said display device is an analog meter; and

said faceplate includes a transparent faceplate carrying the scale indicia. 

1. In an information distributing and display system having information for a plurality of display devices carried in a serial stream on a single cable together with addresses identifying the particular display device to receive the information, the improvement of a changeable address display device comprising: a plurality of switch elements the closing of a combination of which assigns a particular address to said display device; means for identifying in said serial stream of information and addresses to particular address and associated information for said display device; means for driving said display device in accordance with said information; and a changeable faceplate having means for closing a combination of said switch elements to assign said particular address to said display device.
 2. An information distributing and display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said switch elements are aligned with pin-receiving receptacles and closed by insertion of a pin in said receptacles; and said changeable faceplate includes one or more pins which are inserted in said pin-receiving receptacles when said faceplate is attached to said display device.
 3. An information distributing and display system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said display device is an analog meter; and said faceplate includes a transparent faceplate carrying the scale indicia. 